The men who matter

We profile Fifa executive committee and predict their votes

Fifa are meeting on Thursday to decide who will host the 2018 World Cup.

Sky Sports profiles the 22-man Fifa executive committee and predicts who they will pick in the first round of voting for 2018.

SEPP BLATTER (SWITZERLAND)

Fifa president since 1998 who is as concerned about ensuring he has no rivals for his re-election next year as choosing the best 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts. The outcome of the voting should be an indicator of whether the 74-year-old still has his substantial powerbase.

Expected first-round vote: Russia

JULIO GRONDONA (ARGENTINA)

FIFA's senior vice-president and someone who has made little secret that he has no love for England. It has been suggested it would take the return of the Falkland Islands to Argentina for him to vote for England.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

ISSA HAYATOU (CAMEROON)

The head of African football was strongly backed by England when he challenged Blatter for president in 2002 only to suffer a humiliating defeat. England 2018 hope he will repay the compliment but the 64-year-old is known to be upset that his friend Amadou Diakite was stung by the Sunday Times investigation.

Expected first-round vote: Russia

CHUNG MONG-JOON

Something of a maverick, Chung has long been an enemy of Sepp Blatter but is a powerful man in his own right. The son of the founder of Hyundai, his vote in later rounds could swing it for England.

Expected first-round vote: Holland/Belgium.

JACK WARNER (Trinidad and Tobago)

Once again, England's hopes rest almost entirely on securing his support. As president of CONCACAF he can guarantee two and probably three votes - but will expect support for the United States' 2022 bid in return. Now aged 67 and a government minister in Trinidad, he is still high in Fifa despite being the subject of numerous claims about ticketing impropriety.

Expected first-round vote: England

ANGEL VILLAR LLONA (SPAIN)

A Basque who played for Athletic Bilbao and was capped by Spain, now head of Fifa's referees committee. If Spain/Portugal do win it will be entirely down to the 60-year-old's personal relationships.

First-round vote: Spain/Portugal

MICHEL PLATINI (FRANCE)

Uefa president and France's most famous ex-player who is not as anti-English as he's sometimes made out to be and will probably back England in later rounds.

Ruthless at Uefa when it comes to getting his way, he looks to be Blatter's most likely successor especially as, aged 55, he has time on his side.

Expected first-round vote: Holland/Belgium.

GEOFF THOMPSON (ENGLAND)

Yorkshireman who was FA chairman through eight turbulent years before becoming Britain's Fifa vice-president. Effective behind the scenes rather than in the front of a camera, the head of England 2018's bid needs to pull in some personal favours to win.

First-round vote: England

MICHEL D'HOOGHE (BELGIUM)

Doctor and sports medicine specialist who is head of Fifa's medical committee.

Has been a Fifa member since 1988 - only matched by Grondona - and the 64-year-old is a respected figure on the executive committee.

Expected first-round vote: Holland/Belgium

RICARDO TERRA TEIXEIRA (BRAZIL)

Son-in-law of former Fifa president Joao Havelange (though now divorced) he is the real power in Brazilian football. Aged 63, he is thought to have ambitions to be Fifa president - most likely to stand after Brazil have hosted the 2014 World Cup.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

MOHAMED BIN HAMMAM (QATAR)

Another with presidential ambitions, the 61-year-old head of Asian football fell out with Blatter spectacularly last year and although bridges have been rebuilt, the truce is an uneasy one. Allegations that his Qatar bid has been in cahoots with Villar Llona's Spain/Portugal have been one of the recurring scandals of this bid campaign.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

SENES ERZIK (TURKEY)

Eminent football administrator who is also Uefa's senior vice-president. Close to Thompson, and England are counting on the 68-year-old's vote for the first round onwards. Thompson is believed to have backed Turkey's bid for Euro 2016.

Expected first-round vote: England

CHUCK BLAZER (USA)

Larger-than-life character who will team up with Warner to maximise the effectiveness of CONCACAF's voting power. Now aged 65, his priority will be to ensure that USA win the race to host the 2022 tournament.

Expected first-round vote: England

WORAWI MAKUDI (THAILAND)

Was wooed by England to the extent that they agreed for Fabio Capello's side to play a friendly in June against Thailand, but that may all be for nothing - Makudi, 59, appears to be welded to Bin Hammam and will back Qatar and Spain/Portugal.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

NICOLAS LEOZ (PARAGUAY)

At 82, the oldest man on the Fifa executive committee by some distance and perhaps the most controversial. He was named by a Court in Switzerland as having received two separate payments from Fifa's collapsed media partners ISL totalling around £85,000. No action was ever taken.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

JUNJI OGURA (JAPAN)

Likeable Anglophile who supports West Ham and rates Sir Bobby Charlton as his footballing idol. Is due to step down from FIFA's executive committee next year so this should be his last major decision. As close to a dead cert as England can get.

Expected first-round vote: England

MARIOS LEFKARITIS (CYPRUS)

He has only been a Fifa member for three years but he has shown in his long experience at Uefa that he is deft at political manoeuvring. The 64-year-old has allied himself with eastern Europe and is likely to be firmly in Russia's camp.

Expected first-round vote: Russia

JACQUES ANOUMA

England have done much to try to win the support of the 58-year-old, who speaks English as well as French but the African members generally are unhappy at the severe sanctions handed out to their colleagues by the ethics committee following the Sunday Times expose.

Expected first-round vote: Russia

FRANZ BECKENBAUER (GERMANY)

Among Fifa members, only Platini is as famous for his playing achievements. Has said nice things about an England bid in the past but now wedded firmly to Russia. Now 65, the vote will be his final major Fifa duty before he steps down next year.

Expected first-round vote: Russia

RAFAEL SALGUERO (GUATEMALA)

A Fifa executive new boy and the focus of much attention in relation to whether he will join the CONCACAF bloc with Warner and Blazer or back Spain/Portugal.

The 63-year-old is very much a Latin American but may be swayed to follow Warner's lead.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

HANY ABO RIDA (EGYPT)

Another new face in Fifa, and one who has lost little time in nailing his colours to the Qatar 2022 mast - with the implication that the 57-year-old will back Spain/Portugal for 2018.

Expected first-round vote: Spain/Portugal

VITALY MUTKO (RUSSIA)

At 51, he is the baby of the FIFA executive committee but he is a man with power and influence. He has been close to prime minister Vladimir Putin most of his political life and is former minister of sport and ex-head of the Russia Football Union.